Sofia/Rotterdam – In order to streamline their empty container flows and increase efficiency, one of the largest container shipping companies in the world, NileDutch, is now collaborating with Transmetrics, the leading tech startup for predictive logistics solutions. With extensive experience in demand forecasting and predictive optimization for cargo transport industry, Transmetrics was selected by NileDutch as the best company to implement its logistics software. With the start of the cooperation, Transmetrics also will launch its new product AssetMetrics.

“The project with NileDutch is strategically important for us. The container still is a symbol of globalization and it revolutionized the way how transportation works worldwide. With machine learning and intelligent algorithms we now want to revolutionize how empty container handling and relocation is organized. Our envisioned goal for the project with NileDutch is to reduce the cost of empty container logistics by 10-15 percent,” says Anna Shaposhnikova, CCO and co-founder of Transmetrics. NileDutch already started the migration of data into the predictive IT tool at the beginning of January 2018. The rollout of AssetMetrics will begin in March 2018.

NileDutch Breda Vessel in Durban, South Africa

AssetMetrics uses historical data of the shipping company and improves those data sets to the extent that the intelligent algorithm can produce reliable predictions. In earlier test projects, Transmetrics was able to increase the data quality by around 75 percent during this enrichment process. Afterwards, the system will create a demand forecast model, which is then optimized by the algorithm. With its technology, Transmetrics was achieving from 25% to 50% higher forecast accuracy than the in-house teams of their customers. This approach allows the rebalancing of assets across the whole NileDutch network at minimal cost. It takes into account maintenance costs, the future demand at each location, the cost to reposition and the assets that will be returned. AssetMetrics will be connected to the TMS-system of NileDutch to secure a constant exchange of information.

Left to Right: Carlo Zaalberg, Global Director Logistics at NileDutch and Asparuh Koev, CEO and Co-Founder at Transmetrics.

“We had been looking for a partner who could help us streamline our empty container flows for a long time. There are different IT solutions on the market, but we chose Transmetrics over other providers because they proved their technical expertise and also demonstrated a deep knowledge of the logistics industry and container shipping in particular, which is very difficult to find,” says Carlo Zaalberg, Global Director Logistics at NileDutch. Smart empty container repositioning is one of the areas where NileDutch is seeing a large potential for improvement by predictive analytics and artificial intelligence.

About Transmetrics:

Transmetrics unlocks the power of Big Data and predictive analytics for the cargo transport industry. The company’s products consist of multiple steps – data cleansing, advanced forecasting, predictive optimization and execution controlling modules. Transmetrics’ products help companies make better, data-driven decisions and continuously improve their operational performance. Transmetrics works with the world’s leading logistics companies, including three global Fortune 500 companies.

About NileDutch:

NileDutch Africa Line BV (NileDutch) is a major shipping company, focusing on links between West Africa and the rest of the world. The company has over 30 years’ experience of working in Africa and has a large network of offices and agents. This presence in the region means NileDutch is familiar with the needs of the African market and can respond quickly to local changes and offer their customers a reliable service.